All our travel trips follow the same emotional cycle. You do your planning and get all excited both positively and negatively about the upcoming trip. You arrive at your destination and there is the immediate disorientation. You are in a different environment. Whatever your expectations, the reality is different. But within a day or so there is acclimation and accommodation. Now the place becomes more comfortable and you realize you have quite some time to fill and do whatever it is you are doing. Then suddenly you realize that the time is almost over, that the great adventure is coming to a close. You are glad to be getting back home to normalcy but sad that the adventure is ending.
So it is here in Accra. I will be returning at the end of the day on Monday (I mean really end of the day, like 11:45 PM!) to fly home. The pace of meetings continues. I have four today. On Saturday I have one and will take the rest of the day off to go see some of the area outside of Accra. Sunday I am devoting to writing up reports that are necessary to get to my contacts here for purposes of defining next steps and gaining a local team to represent and manage the project locally. I have more meetings on Monday itself. There is one big potential situation that could provide funding for the project and may or may not require more time to try and complete between now and when I leave.
I hope on Sunday to finally upload my pictures!
Friday, February 22, 2019
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Ghana Rotary Project - Cap'n I Don't Think The Warp Drive Can Take Any More!!!!
This is going to be short and sweet. Never...I mean Never...in a life time full of starting up this venture and that, this new market and that, this new service and that, has anything I have worked on moved as fast as the project I am working on here Accra, Ghana.
It seems that each day literally some major piece that one would expect would take months or years to develop is falling into place. Tonight I will be meeting with a small group of Accra Rotarians to present to them the framework of an ongoing development project. It will be interesting to see if that flies.
I am still putting in 10 to 13 hour days, am pumped as all get out and am sure I am going crash once I get home. STILL need to get my pictures from last weekend posted.
It seems that each day literally some major piece that one would expect would take months or years to develop is falling into place. Tonight I will be meeting with a small group of Accra Rotarians to present to them the framework of an ongoing development project. It will be interesting to see if that flies.
I am still putting in 10 to 13 hour days, am pumped as all get out and am sure I am going crash once I get home. STILL need to get my pictures from last weekend posted.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Ghana Rotary Project - Day...Well Losing Track Of The Days
Honestly never...I mean never...in my life has any venture I have attempted to promote every seemed to move this fast and get this much traction so fast. There is still a long way to go and there is not guarantee of success as far as even getting lift off. Even on Sunday which was to be my day off, things got very busy with family as well as the project stuff. Yesterday was super long and today will be as well. But OMG the opportunities are just falling into alignment if providence will smile and push a few key pieces in place. So forgive if I am posting less frequently. I do have a bunch of pictures which are edited now. Just have to find time to post them.
Saturday, February 16, 2019
Ghana Rotary Project - Day Five - Hoping It Works
It's Saturday. Hard to believe I have been here only four days. It feels like I've been here for weeks because of the rapid pace it has all been moving. I took some time to go around the city today. I did take a bunch of pictures but will get those up in another post.
It was brutally hot - Low 90's for you Fahrenheit folks, low 30's for you Centigrade people - and around 60% humidity. So while not as bad as I've experienced in Southeast Asia, still very uncomfortable. So we ended up not staying out all that long. And to be brutally hones, Accra is really not a very attractive place. Now I say this hoping that my new friends here will not be upset and if you are new please read on because as they say beauty is skin deep.
Going on, from a pure physical/cityscape/visual impact space, not that great. There is little color. The architecture is kind of non-existent. Nice buildings are surrounded by neighborhoods and buildings that are not attractive at all. There are dirt roads even in the middle of the city which because it is the dry season makes everything dusty (if it were rainy season, they would be all muddy). There is a permanent overcast that gives everything a grey look.
BUT I am loving this place! Why? It is in many ways the polar opposite of Havana, Cuba. Havana was one of the most scenic cities I've ever seen...and I have no desire to go back. Accra has none of that but I am hoping, hoping all my work pans out because I really would like to make this the place where my travel + service component succeeds. Again, Why?
Because of the people and the energy. Look Wife and I are not neophyte travelers. Been lots of places. Very few seem to have a feeling to call me or us back. But in four days here I have accomplished more on this project than I have any project I have promoted at anytime, anywhere. I bemoaned coming here with zero appointments. But once I have gotten here, I have been flooded with meetings...as soon as people met me. A lot of that had to do with Rotary and the openness and sort of 'seal of approval' you get from being in Rotary. But beyond that there is an energy here and a friendly attitude that is incredibly infectious. I see at the vibrant Rotary meetings themselves. I see it with my hotel front desk manager and my car driver. I see it with the people I've met who are so open about their own businesses. It is kind of energy that I feel I would like to be a part of. It's an energy that seems to say that despite whatever obstacles they and their country face, they want to address them. They want to be successful and they are willing to work to do it.
So is it a place that's physically beautiful? No. But is it a place with heart and energy? I think so and I hope I get to get more of it, give something of value and become part of it.
It was brutally hot - Low 90's for you Fahrenheit folks, low 30's for you Centigrade people - and around 60% humidity. So while not as bad as I've experienced in Southeast Asia, still very uncomfortable. So we ended up not staying out all that long. And to be brutally hones, Accra is really not a very attractive place. Now I say this hoping that my new friends here will not be upset and if you are new please read on because as they say beauty is skin deep.
Going on, from a pure physical/cityscape/visual impact space, not that great. There is little color. The architecture is kind of non-existent. Nice buildings are surrounded by neighborhoods and buildings that are not attractive at all. There are dirt roads even in the middle of the city which because it is the dry season makes everything dusty (if it were rainy season, they would be all muddy). There is a permanent overcast that gives everything a grey look.
BUT I am loving this place! Why? It is in many ways the polar opposite of Havana, Cuba. Havana was one of the most scenic cities I've ever seen...and I have no desire to go back. Accra has none of that but I am hoping, hoping all my work pans out because I really would like to make this the place where my travel + service component succeeds. Again, Why?
Because of the people and the energy. Look Wife and I are not neophyte travelers. Been lots of places. Very few seem to have a feeling to call me or us back. But in four days here I have accomplished more on this project than I have any project I have promoted at anytime, anywhere. I bemoaned coming here with zero appointments. But once I have gotten here, I have been flooded with meetings...as soon as people met me. A lot of that had to do with Rotary and the openness and sort of 'seal of approval' you get from being in Rotary. But beyond that there is an energy here and a friendly attitude that is incredibly infectious. I see at the vibrant Rotary meetings themselves. I see it with my hotel front desk manager and my car driver. I see it with the people I've met who are so open about their own businesses. It is kind of energy that I feel I would like to be a part of. It's an energy that seems to say that despite whatever obstacles they and their country face, they want to address them. They want to be successful and they are willing to work to do it.
So is it a place that's physically beautiful? No. But is it a place with heart and energy? I think so and I hope I get to get more of it, give something of value and become part of it.
Friday, February 15, 2019
Ghana Rotary Project - Day Four
Has it really only been four days? I feels like I have been working for months, maybe years! Mostly because things are moving so fast. I can honestly say I have never had a new business concept move this fast in my life - ever!
The pace of meetings continued just a tad slower today. I had two meetings in the first part of the day and then a dinner meeting. BUT each of these was with business owner/entrepreneurs AND each has led to a significant either project or project opportunity. The first two were women - one the wife of a Rotarian, the other a Rotarian herself - that were involved with start-up ventures. In both cases, they were very conflicted about direction to go. By showing them the logic path I use to quickly evaluate start-up viability and establish clear market differentiation and messaging, you could see there eyes starting lighten up with a realization that there was a logical way to figure out how they might create success.
Both of these women have agreed to become part of my proof of concept test, meaning I am taking them on as projects. It was very curious at the end of each meeting each of the women got this hard look in their eyes, drilling through mine, asking, "And your are really going to do this? You are really going to follow through?" I explained I was not doing this for strictly altruistic reasons. I said how I wanted to have the experience of having meaningful relationships and doing productive work in another country and not have to pay for my travel! So yes I do have something I am looking to get out of this by way of funding via Rotary. But first I have to produce results.
The last meeting was even crazier. It was a second meeting with a person introduced to me by a client in Chicago. His in-laws who own a fairly substantial business in Ghana with now three siblings in the business. They are going through all the classic family transition issues. Without going through the details, I have a meeting with the whole family for about five hours on Monday. Who would believe?
Tomorrow I am taking the day off. It is Saturday and my driver is going to flit me around Accra for some good ole fashion travel blogger action. Looking forward to that. Look for some traditional traveler posts.
The pace of meetings continued just a tad slower today. I had two meetings in the first part of the day and then a dinner meeting. BUT each of these was with business owner/entrepreneurs AND each has led to a significant either project or project opportunity. The first two were women - one the wife of a Rotarian, the other a Rotarian herself - that were involved with start-up ventures. In both cases, they were very conflicted about direction to go. By showing them the logic path I use to quickly evaluate start-up viability and establish clear market differentiation and messaging, you could see there eyes starting lighten up with a realization that there was a logical way to figure out how they might create success.
Both of these women have agreed to become part of my proof of concept test, meaning I am taking them on as projects. It was very curious at the end of each meeting each of the women got this hard look in their eyes, drilling through mine, asking, "And your are really going to do this? You are really going to follow through?" I explained I was not doing this for strictly altruistic reasons. I said how I wanted to have the experience of having meaningful relationships and doing productive work in another country and not have to pay for my travel! So yes I do have something I am looking to get out of this by way of funding via Rotary. But first I have to produce results.
The last meeting was even crazier. It was a second meeting with a person introduced to me by a client in Chicago. His in-laws who own a fairly substantial business in Ghana with now three siblings in the business. They are going through all the classic family transition issues. Without going through the details, I have a meeting with the whole family for about five hours on Monday. Who would believe?
Tomorrow I am taking the day off. It is Saturday and my driver is going to flit me around Accra for some good ole fashion travel blogger action. Looking forward to that. Look for some traditional traveler posts.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Ghana Rotary Project - Day Three
Look at Day Two - Repeat.
Despite my fears that I would be sitting in my hotel room twiddling my thumbs, instead I a have been out doing 12-13 hour days. I am NOT complaining. I am excited that there is so much activity (i.e. people to see) and the general positive response I am getting. So far it has been a lot of long rides, waiting at meetings (Rotary) for hours to give my five minutes of spiel, followed by a slew of cards received and people who will meet with me.
I have a couple more Rotary Club meetings to go to but I will finish them off by Monday next week because literally I will have no time to schedule more meetings after that. Honestly, I have been working so hard it is difficult to even be aware of how different the country/city are. I am blessed with having found a wonderful driver, Frimpong, my first day here. He gets me everywhere, is always exceedingly prompt and goes out of the way to talk to all the people we are meeting to get directions - no small deal in this city that is an amazing warren of buildings built in crazy locations found by back streets.
Like yesterday, I am beat. I didn't get to the hotel until 9:30 and picked some fast food (Papaye - Chicken with rice...good!). Ghanian food has a lot of spice but is not incendiary. And it looks like $5 of good will last me three meals. Like Southeast Asia, when you order rice you get enough for meals my our standards.
Despite my fears that I would be sitting in my hotel room twiddling my thumbs, instead I a have been out doing 12-13 hour days. I am NOT complaining. I am excited that there is so much activity (i.e. people to see) and the general positive response I am getting. So far it has been a lot of long rides, waiting at meetings (Rotary) for hours to give my five minutes of spiel, followed by a slew of cards received and people who will meet with me.
I have a couple more Rotary Club meetings to go to but I will finish them off by Monday next week because literally I will have no time to schedule more meetings after that. Honestly, I have been working so hard it is difficult to even be aware of how different the country/city are. I am blessed with having found a wonderful driver, Frimpong, my first day here. He gets me everywhere, is always exceedingly prompt and goes out of the way to talk to all the people we are meeting to get directions - no small deal in this city that is an amazing warren of buildings built in crazy locations found by back streets.
Like yesterday, I am beat. I didn't get to the hotel until 9:30 and picked some fast food (Papaye - Chicken with rice...good!). Ghanian food has a lot of spice but is not incendiary. And it looks like $5 of good will last me three meals. Like Southeast Asia, when you order rice you get enough for meals my our standards.
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Ghana Rotary Project - Day Two - Working On All Cylanders
I have not even been in Accra for 48 hours and things seem to have gone into overdrive.
I went to my first Rotary Club meeting the day I arrived and my second one at Noon today. Plus, I had two contacts from clients. This has resulted in 7 confirmed meetings with 6 more interested to be scheduled. I've gone from nothing to now juggling appointments. Somehow I have managed to get a meeting with a rather sizeable family business that is undertaking generational succession.
There is an odd juxtaposition of things that are really very close to the way we do business with things that operate very differently. I can see moving in some directions that are more like what I first thought I might be doing but moved away from conceptually. But there are other situations that are more in line with my original thoughts
Add onto that Ghana/Accra is way, way different. I am taking a day off on Saturday and just going to be driven around to take pictures so hopefully you will get the idea. For those who have been in places like Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, it is much more like that...yet still different.
Gotta run. Need to sleep
I went to my first Rotary Club meeting the day I arrived and my second one at Noon today. Plus, I had two contacts from clients. This has resulted in 7 confirmed meetings with 6 more interested to be scheduled. I've gone from nothing to now juggling appointments. Somehow I have managed to get a meeting with a rather sizeable family business that is undertaking generational succession.
There is an odd juxtaposition of things that are really very close to the way we do business with things that operate very differently. I can see moving in some directions that are more like what I first thought I might be doing but moved away from conceptually. But there are other situations that are more in line with my original thoughts
Add onto that Ghana/Accra is way, way different. I am taking a day off on Saturday and just going to be driven around to take pictures so hopefully you will get the idea. For those who have been in places like Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, it is much more like that...yet still different.
Gotta run. Need to sleep
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